These are not to be followed without consulting a trusted herbalist or person in your tribe experienced in handling herbs (elder, medicine person, midwife, healer, etc.). These are ONLY tips and helpful hints. Spiritwalker

The pictures used to create the backgrounds for many of the 'herbal' pages were obtained from:

thank you Karen Shelton, for making these available.

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If you are currently on drug medications, talk with your

health care practitioner or pharmacist about adding herbal

remedies to your treatment plan. There are a few drugs and

herbal remedy combinations to avoid. Seek professional

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Summer brings more opportunity to try herbal treatments for

insect bites. Mosquito bites are uncomfortable, and bites

can itch, sting, and become inflamed in some individuals.

Use a solution of 15% Tea Tree oil (Melaleuca alternifolia)

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Avoid the following herbs in therapeutic doses during pregnancy--

Aloe vera, Angelica, Autumn crocus, Barberry, Black cohosh,

Celery seed, Devil's claw, Goldenseal, Hyssop, Juniper,

Male fern, Mandrake, Parsley seed, Pennyroyal, Pokeweed,

Rosemary, Rue, Sage, Southerwood, Tansy, Thuja, Wormwood,

-The Illustrated Book of Herbs(1996 edition), Chapter VI HERBAL Healing

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The extract of milk thistle called "Silymarin" is a

well-known remedy for the liver. This herbal extract is

also effective in the treatment of psoriasis. Follow label

directions for use on the standardized form of Silymarin.-Victoria Snelling

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The Following Herbs are useful during & after pregnancy--

**Chopped Celery, Parsley, Land Cress, & Rocket -- taken in moderate amounts

**Raspberry Leaf -- to tone the uterus, but should never be used during the first

**Chamomile, Ginger, Peppermint -- for morning sickness

**Goldenseal -- during labor to assist the uterus(never take during pregnancy)

**St. John's Wort oil with added Lavender oil -- to heal the perineum after birth

**Oats -- use oat tincture for postpartum depression

**Fanugreek, Fennel, Caraway, & Milk Thistle -- to promote milk production

**Sage -- for reduction of milk flow during weaning

**Cabbage Leaves (bruise and apply externally) & Echinacea (take tincture

**Calendula Cream -- for diaper rash and cracked nipples

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Valerian root is often thought of in the treatment of

insomnia or anxiety. This herbal treatment is also useful

in cases of high blood pressure. Use a standardized

tincture of Valerian (Valeriana officinalis) and follow

label directions. Let your health care practitioner know

that you are using this herbal remedy as part of your

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Red Raspberry is useful for menstrual cramps and as a uterine tonic prior to childbirth.

A tea made from red raspberry leaves is also helpful in restoring regularity

to the menstrual cycle after the use of birth control pills.

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Bath salts are cleansing to the skin as well as to the spirits. Lavender

adds a relaxing component to this recipe. Add one cup of coarse sea salt

(or Kosher salt), one cup of Epsom salts, and one cup of borax. Mix well.

Add drops of Lavender essential oil, a few drops at a time, until you have

the aroma strength you desire. Mix well. Store in airtight jar,

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To stimulate digestive enzymes and to increase theabsorption of nutrients,

try this Ayurvedic remedy. Combineginger, honey, lemon, cayenne pepper,

cumin, and groundcoriander together. Add enough of the mixture to hot waterto

please your taste. Sip and enjoy the balancing effects.

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Super Food Dandelion greens can often be found in the produce

section of your local health food store. If you can easily identify the

leaves in your garden, you may have a ready supply. Harvest your own

dandelion greens, which are high in more than 74 nutrients, if your

lawn is organic (NO chemical sprays applied) and at least 75 feet away

from the roadway. Raw in a salad, dandelion is an appetite

regulator, digestive aid, and mild diuretic.

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Use a strong tea made from the leaves and flowers of the yarrow plant

to soothe the discomfort of blisters. Dip a gauze pad into the cooled

tea and apply topically. A strong yarrow tea can also be mixed with

a natural moisturizing cream and applied to blisters.

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Using a mortar and pestle if you have them, mix two ouncesof ground

almonds, four to five teaspoons of an oil likealmond or grape seed,

and four teaspoons of lemon or limejuice. Work the mixture together into

a paste, adding whitewine or brandy until the texture is right. Store the

handpaste in an airtight container in the fridge. With regularuse, this

paste will remove toughened calluses and softenyour

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Peppermint oil contains menthol, flavonoids, and vitamins Aand C.

The leaves contain the majority of the plant's oiland make a flavorful tea.

The tea is a good remedy formorning sickness or the nausea of motion sickness.

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Confusion and loss of memory can be a problem as we age,and

herbal remedies can be of assistance. Rosemary is atonic for the

nervous system and can aid memory andconcentration.

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Herbal sachets in your clothing drawers can impart a

delicate scent to your clothing. You can also rinse your

laundry in aromatherapy oils to give a fragrance to your

clothes. Add 15-20 drops of lavender, or another essential

oil, to one cup of water. Add this to your laundry during

the rinse cycle. (You may want to test any delicate fabric

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For calcium kidney stones, add Senna or Aloe verajuice to your diet,

just short of the dose needed to cause loose stools. The dosage will

vary from person to person.Use this, in addition to

following your doctor's advice,until you are pain free.

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The following recipe, made from sprouted Fenugreek seeds,is

purported to safely and effectively enlarge the breasttissue. Speak to

your health care provider if you wouldlike to try this treatment. Add

one cup of fenugreek spoutsand two cups of water to a stainless

steel pan. Addone-eighth teaspoon each of lemongrass, licorice,

marjoram,fennel, dill, basil, anise, and caraway. Bring to a boil,then

allow the tea to cool. Add honey if desired, and drinkone or two

cups a day. Fennel contains phytoestrogens and fenugreek

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Avena sativa, or oat straw, makes an energizing, rejuvenating bath

additive. Add one ounce of oat straw to two quarts of boiling pure

water in a glass container. Allow to steep for four hours. Add to a hot

bath and soak for as long as is comfortable, keeping the water

a warm temperature. This infusion is also nourishing to dry

skin and yet is not over-moisturizing to oily skin.

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If you've packed your winter woolens away, you might want to

add a dried herbal mixture to deep the moths away. Combine

one part lavender flowers, one part dried rosemary leaves,

and two parts dried wormwood leaves. Make sachets by filling

cheesecloth squares with the crushed herbs, and tying or

sewing the ends of the cheesecloth together. Keep a sachet

in each drawer. Tie a ribbon around a sachet to hang on

a wool suit or dress. Replenish these each season.

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Many medicinal plants have antibiotic, antiviral, and antifungal

activity. To assist the body in healing an infection, or in

preventing infection that is being "shared" around your family,

Echinacea and Astragalus are two good choices. Tinctures

and capsules for the freeze-dried plant are two good methods

of administration. When you follow label instructions, these two

can be taken together for a synergistic effect.

Astragalus has been shown to raise T-cell activity.

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Nettle will add a luster to the hair when used as a leave-in rinse.

It will nourish hair growth and lessen dandruff. Make one quart

of strong nettle tea. Add one-quarter cup of apple cider vinegar

and a few drops of an essential oil, such as rose or lavender. After

shampooing, towel dry the hair and pour the tea over the hair,

gently squeezing out the excess, and leave to partially dry before styling.

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Effective natural cough expectorants can be nearlyimpossible to

find, even at your local health food stores.It's not difficult to make

your own if you have access to agood supply of herbs. This

formula is gentle and effective.Mix together two ounces of

licorice root and one ounce eachof wild cherry bark, coltsfoot,

lobelia, and horehound.Boil gently in four cups of pure water for

a few minutes,and then steep for 10 minutes. Strain and sip one

cup everytwo hours (one-half cup for a child). This can be

sweetened or flavored with honey or lemon if desired.

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Ordinary black tea, or Camellia sinensis, will soothe tired

and irritated eyes. After brewing tea, allow the tea bags

to cool, and apply to your closed eyes while you relax for

10-15 minutes. These "used" tea bags are also useful in

applying to minor injuries and insect bites.

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Echinacea is most commonly taken to fight infection and to

boost the immune system. This versatile herb will also help

to fight fatigue, building stamina and endurance.

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Plantago is useful in relieving the pain of earache. Keep

the tincture form on hand if you have small children. Two

to three drops in each ear can relieve the inflammation and

pain in a teething child, or in a young adult with Wisdom

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St. John's Wort, or Hypericum perforatum, is commonly used

in combating feelings of depression. St. John's Wort is

also effective in relieving anxiety. Take standardized

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European doctors who recommend natural medicines commonly

prescribe Hawthorn berry extract for hypertension, or high

blood pressure. Follow label directions on a standardized

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Aloe vera, in liquid or capsule form, offers many

protective benefits to the gastrointestinal tract. This

plant extract will also relieve symptoms of constipation

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A substance in unripe plantain bananas will protect the

lining of the digestive tract and assist the healing

process in ulcerous conditions. Your local health food

store may have a tablet extract that is easy to take.

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Cloves, grown in tropical climates but not in the US,

release an oil when they are scraped or bruised that acts

as a temporary skin anesthetic. Since you will probably not

be growing these in your garden, simply purchase any brand

of cloves from a local grocery store in the spice aisle.

Take about ten cloves and remove the stems, then wrap them

in a piece of cotton and roll this package back and forth

on a countertop, or crush it lightly in your hands. Discard

the pieces of cloves and wipe the sore tooth and gum with

the oil on the piece of cotton. Another option is to bruise

a clove slightly, then roll it around in your mouth. You

may also be able to find Oil of Cloves at a health food

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Throat pain due to pharyngitis may respond to gargling with

warm water with one tablespoon of salt added, twice a day.

You can also sip tea made from slippery elm (Ulmus fulva)

and marshmallow root (Althea officinalis). The two herbs

help to ease inflammation and clear away mucous, promoting

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A reader wrote in to share her experience with herbal

medicine, reminding me that if one family member develops

influenza, treatment with Black Elderberry tincture will

protect other family members from the flu. The flu sufferer

will also recover faster by using this herbal tincture as

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Perspiration is the skin's natural cleansing mechanism. For

a weekly sweat bath, add one half cup of Epsom salts, one

half cup of sea salt (or Kosher salt), and a few drops of

essential oil to a very warm-to-hot bath. Soak for 15-20

minutes, and then gently scrub the skin with a mild soap

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Sunflowers range from in height from around two feet to

over ten feet. Not surprisingly, the larger varieties have

the best seeds to eat. These flowers need full sun, and can

be seeded directly into the ground after the last frost.

You may need to stake the taller sunflowers for support and

tie netting over the flower heads when they get big and

full of seeds to keep the birds from eating them up before

you harvest them. Cut off the flower heads when they're

full, leaving a couple of inches of stem so you can hang

them upside down to dry. Then remove the seeds from the

heads. You'll have to store the seeds in the refrigerator,

because they can spoil. Sunflowers are full of B vitamins

and help you process food into energy. Try eating them on a

salad or on a bagel with cream cheese, lettuce, tomatoes,

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Garlic is a natural remedy for heartburn and reflux. It is

best taken as fresh garlic, not as tablets or pills. Fresh

garlic also supports normal bowel flora, and kills H.

pylori, which has been indicated as a cause of stomach

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Barley water is a good mild cold remedy, especially for

children and the elderly. To make it, wash two small

handfuls of barley in cold water and discard the water.

Then boil the barley in a small amount of water for a

couple of minutes, strain it out, and discard that water as

well. Now put the barley in five cups of water, adding two

whole lemons cut into pieces. Boil this until the liquid

has reduced by half. Strain your mixture, add honey, and

drink this freely while suffering from a cold.

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Fresh fruits and vegetables are naturally cleansing to the

colon, and should be liberally added to the diet. To

enhance colon detoxification, use psyllium husks, garlic,

chlorophyll, multi-digestive enzymes, and acidophilus. Use

herbal senna and cascara segrada if constipated.

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Wormwood has been used traditionally to rid the body of

parasites. For this purpose, use a good quality tincture

and follow the label directions. Continue treatment for 14

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Chamomile is a perennial with a pleasant apple-like scent

that can have a white flower with a yellow center. It can

be grown from seed in the spring, with the young plants set

six inches apart in their permanent positions. Often used

in the form of tea, chamomile has been recommended for

headaches, chills, fevers, digestive trouble, nervousness,

For a pint of chamomile tea, use six flowers (or around

four teaspoons of dried leaves) and steep the tea for five

to ten minutes. Add a small teaspoon of honey to each cup

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Use detoxifying herbs in tincture or capsule form, or use

the herbs to make a tea. To cleanse the kidneys, use uva

ursi, juniper berries, goldenseal, ginger, and dandelion.

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Breathing exercises, offered at many yoga classes, can keep

the lungs and muscles of respiration in good repair. If you

smoke, use any method available to stop. The following

herbs can help to cleanse the lungs: comfrey, mullein, and

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Teas, powdered herbs in capsules, or liquid extracts are

easy-to-use forms of herbal remedies. Along with herbal

detoxification, keep to a good diet, drink plenty of pure

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Reflux esophagitis is an inflammation of the esophagus and

is often caused by acid from the stomach refluxing back up

into the esophagus. We commonly experience this as

heartburn. This may or may not be accompanied by a hiatal

hernia, and possibly other symptoms. The antioxidants in

Wormwood will decrease the over-acidity and protect against

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4-hydroxyisoleucine, has favorable effects on blood sugar

levels. If you've been diagnosed with diabetes, be sure to

regularly check your blood sugar levels and follow your

doctor's treatment recommendations. However, it's good to

know that you can safely add Fenugreek to any treatment

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The name "feverfew" comes from the Latin work meaning to

"reduce fever." In addition to this use, herbal feverfew

will bring on a late menstrual period and will help to

deliver a retained placenta after childbirth. Fresh

feverfew leaves are considered to be most effective as a

remedy. If you're using a packaged product, take care to

check the expiration date. The longer a feverfew product

has been on the shelf, the less potent it will be.

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Garlic is one of the oldest cultivated plants. Even the

ancient Egyptians recognized the antibiotic properties of

garlic. In addition to its antibiotic properties, garlic

will help reduce cholesterol levels and lower high blood

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Chickweed is a good external remedy for cuts, wounds,

bruises, and itching. It is especially useful for the skin

irritations association with eczema or psoriasis. Chickweed

is common in gardens (where most gardeners don't want it)

and in fields, and can be collected throughout the year.

Harvest the leaves and flowers. You can use these fresh in

a strong infusion for your bath to combat itching or

applied as a poultice. You can also make an ointment for

itching or skin irritation by mixing the chickweed with

marshmallow in a base of beeswax, wheat germ oil, and cocoa

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A baby's teething pain and an adult's toothache will

respond to the same herbal remedy. Plantago tincture or

lotion, applied to the gums, will ease the pain of

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